In the first place, this amendment has nothing whatsoever to do with indexation. It is a proposal from the Sinn Féin Party that we should carry out a report on removing people from the universal social charge. We do not need any reports in relation to this. We need to follow very carefully the advice and analysis available to those of us in government and to those in this House about the volatile economic situation in which we find ourselves geopolitically. On the day when the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council publishe…

It is.

It is a viability measure.

Reducing the cost of building.

I did not say that.

Deputy Doherty has decided to continue to ignore the reality with his fanciful economic ideology of the fact that there are at least 42,000 apartments in this capital city that have planning permission today that have been deemed not viable to build. I want to build them while Deputy Doherty wants to continue to call people names. It makes sense to try to ensure those apartments are built because where are the young people going live if they are not built? It suits Deputy Doherty for the housing crisis to continue.…

You see-----

The Deputy is wrong. When you run the economy well, wage growth counts-----

It is going to be a long night if the Deputy is going to be so rude the whole time.

I thank Deputy Nash for this proposal. I have heard him talk about this time and time again, and for good reason. I fully accept that budgets are about choices and we will have rigorous debates in this House about whether our choices are right. I contend – the Deputy will have a different view – that the choices we made this year were about trying to boost economic resilience, protect jobs and stimulate housing supply. We have had that debate and we will continue to have that debate. I wish to make a couple of poin…

I thank Deputies Nash and Lawlor for tabling this amendment. I acknowledge that Deputy Lawlor had an initial conversation with me on it this week. I appreciate his genuine interest and expertise in this. I also find myself in much agreement with some of the points Deputy O'Callaghan made in terms of how we keep companies that we as a country invest so much in getting to that point in Irish ownership. It is a real policy issue that deserves genuine consideration. I am pleased the Deputy had a constructive meeting wi…

I thank Deputies Doherty, Conway-Walsh and Ward for this amendment. Let me first read out some of the factual answer for the record and then I will try to engage on some of the issues being raised. Two amendments have been grouped and we are discussing amendment No. 4, which calls for tax-based measures to support rental property activation in areas affected by defective concrete blocks. Deputy Doherty referred to amendment No. 11 as the substantive amendment in terms of its effect being the disapplication of incom…

That is a point that merits further consideration by us. While I am not in a position to accept the amendments, there is the legislation coming forward next week and there is also the commitment in terms of the planned review of the scheme. The Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage will, as required by section 51 of the 2022 Act, carry out a review of the operation of that Act. Legally, that has to start by June of next year and I believe it is now likely to start earlier than that as a result of the …

In truth, this is not about compassion, from our perspective. We feel very seriously and strongly about what people are enduring in relation to this situation. The time available to me is not enough to outline a number of the measures we tried to take to assist. These include significant changes to the current scheme, more legislation to come forward next week, and the review of the scheme that is to take place next year. I hope it will be as early as possible next year. I am genuinely grappling constructively with…

I thank Deputy Farrell. The Deputies are requesting a report on the rent tax credit operating in the absence of a cap on rents, and making a direct comparison between the amount of the credit and rent increases. They suggest that the rent tax credit should be complemented by rent caps. There are currently certain limits to rent increases. Rent increases in a rent pressure zone cannot now exceed general inflation. The ESRI published research in 2022 on the positive impact of rent pressure zones. This research found …

One day, if Deputy Doherty can ever form a Government or can find people in this House who wish to form a Government with him, he will realise that you go out to the people and seek a mandate from the people on your manifesto. You get as many votes and seats as you can in Dáil Éireann. If you do not have enough seats to form a Government, you then seek other parties in the Dáil to work with you. You then sit down together. You bring your policy proposals and they bring their policy proposals and you agree a program…

That is the answer.

Deputy Doherty has not done it yet.

He put a question to me but he did not wish me to answer it.

The Acting Chair is grand. I say this just for the people watching at home. I did not have an opportunity to answer the question.